Administration

How do I request higher single and monthly spending limits?

After using your GSA SmartPay purchase account, it is a good idea to review your single and monthly spending limits. You may discover that you need permanent higher spending limits to meet the needs of your agency. You can submit a request for either temporarily or permanently increasing your spending limits through your Approving Official or A/OPC.

Be sure to obtain approval from your Approving Official or A/OPC BEFORE using the purchase account for any purchase which exceeds your limit. If the request to increase your spending limits is approved, the A/OPC will submit it to the contractor bank. Neither permanent nor temporary single and monthly spending limits can ever be higher than your Delegation of Authority.

Mandatory Reporting to FPDS-NG

The Federal Procurement Data System Next Generation (FPDS-NG) provides a comprehensive mechanism for assembling, organizing and presenting contract placement data for the Federal Government. In accordance with FAR 4.603(b) and FAR 4.606(a) , agencies must report all transactions over the micro-purchase threshold and modifications to those transactions regardless of dollar value. The FPDS-NG website provides instructions for submitting data.

Regulations That Govern Use of the Purchase Account

The GSA SmartPay purchase account has a solid grounding in key statutes and regulations. Although many small-scale purchases are low in dollar amount, taken together, small-scale purchases account for billions of dollars in contracting and are a critical part of the Government's acquisition process.

Note: Your agency also may have supplemental policy governing account use .

Reconciling Your Statement

You will receive a statement notification, either electronically or through the mail, from the contractor bank once a month for your GSA SmartPay purchase account. The statement is mailed directly to your business address unless the agency is using the service provider’s Electronic Access System (EAS).

When you receive your monthly statement:

Identify and annotate any erroneous charges and work with the merchants and the issuing bank contractor on a resolution.

Forward your statement to your Approving Official and the appropriate Payment/Finance office for payment.

What happens if my account is lost or stolen?

Report a lost or stolen purchase account promptly to:

The contractor bank;

Your program coordinator (A/OPC); and

Your supervisor.

Once an account has been reported as lost or stolen, the contractor bank immediately blocks that account from further usage and a new account number will be issued to the account holder.

Reporting the account as stolen does not relieve the account holder or the Government of payment for any transactions that were made by the account holder prior to reporting it stolen. If you do not recognize a transaction appearing on your statement, you are responsible for notifying the contractor bank within 90 calendar days from the transaction date to initiate a dispute, unless otherwise specified by the agency/organization. This notification of transaction dispute may occur via the electronic access system, by telephone, or other electronic means (e.g. email).

Note: You relinquish your right to recover a disputed amount after 90 calendar days from the date that the transaction was processed. It is your responsibility to dispute questionable charges. If you don’t, you will be held personally liable for the amount of the questionable charge.

How do I renew my account?

Your GSA SmartPay purchase account is issued for a defined period of time and will expire.

You do not need to initiate any action to get your account renewed

You will receive your new account before your current account expired

If you do not receive your new account, contact your A/OPC

If you possess a physical GSA SmartPay charge card, destroy the expired card; it does not need to be returned.

What do I do if my information changes?

Accounting Code Change

When you receive your purchase account, your A/OPC will assign a default accounting code(s) to your account. An Accounting Code is the internal number that identifies the funds to be used to pay for your purchase. Check with your A/OPC to understand the process for:

Changing Offices,

Updating your accounting code, or

How to cite a different accounting code if you are acquiring items for other offices or projects/organizations.

Account Holder Name Change or Business Office Address Change

Changes in information occur from time to time. Report all changes and the dates of the changes to your A/OPC. Your A/OPC will make the appropriate updates to your account information using the contractor bank’s EAS.

Account Suspension/Cancellation

Accounts may be suspended and/or cancelled by the contractor banks due to non-payment. If your account is suspended or cancelled due to failure of the agency to make payment, you will be unable to use the account. If you are advised by the merchant or contractor bank that your account has been suspended or cancelled, contact your A/OPC immediately. The contractor bank is required to notify your A/OPC prior to suspending or cancelling accounts.

Closing the Purchase Account

Your agency has specific procedures on closing account. The GSA SmartPay purchase account must be transferred or closed when:

You change jobs,

You leave the employment of the Government,

You change agencies, or

You are no longer required to purchase items in support of your agency’s mission.

To close or transfer your account, notify your A/OPC. The A/OPC will contact the contractor bank to close or transfer your account.